Heart's Purest Lie
by Black and Silver Dreamer
Summary: Kenshin has a new life with Kaoru and thier son Kenji, so what will he do when a woman from his past returns seemingly from the grave?
1. Prolouge

********************** Author's Note: blah, blah, Kenshin is note (c) to me... *cries* but oh well! Namie is an original character of one of my friends, all other charas are (c) to the creator(s) of Kenshin. This is a fanfic (duh) about um... what would happen if Kenshin's old wife, Tomoe, were to return from the dead after Kenshin wed Kaoru. Please, R n R!!! ************  
  
Prolouge  
  
She stood quietly in the distance, hidden from his sight as she watched him. He looked so happy, so unlike he had been those years ago. The woman standing beside him was pretty, and the child standing by her was obviously his, with the red hair, and innocent eyes, how could that child be anyone but Kenshin's?  
  
She felt her heart bleed as Kenshin turned and kissed his new love softly, as the small child played in front of them, the picture of perfection to her. 'He must've forgotten me by now...' she thought as she forced her eyes away from the scene, 'Kenshin.... You're not the murderer I once knew... Is it because of your new life?' she wondered. It was very likely that his new wife, and son were the things keeping the murderer within Kenshin locked away, she didn't want to ruin that for him. She closed her eyes tightly as a breeze rushed by her, blowing her hair out of it's neat bun.  
  
Kenshin smiled as Kaoru ran after Kenji, their son, he was happier than he had been in a long time, he was almost as happy as he had been during his last days with Tomoe. As the memory of Tomoe permeated through his mind the scent of white plum drifted by, the scent that Kaoru had never been able to replicate, just the small whiff of that familiar scent was enough to send Kenshin's heart racing.  
  
He looked around, almost frantically, hoping and yet dreading that he would find Tomoe waiting for him with a soft smile, and a kind word. He knew his search was pointless, but something inside made him continue searching, "Tomoe... Are you here?"  
  
"Tomoe... we need to get back now..." Namie said softly to her friend.  
  
Tomoe sighed, and nodded, "Very well..." she slowly turned away, and she and Namie started walking away, leaving Kenshin with old scars torn open by a whiff of white plum.  
  
********************P.S. I know this is short!! It's just the prolouge, and it's the holidays, and I'm lazy! So :P  
  
P.P.S. Happy Holidays everyone!!! **************** 


	2. Strangers in the dojo

Chapter 1: Strangers in the dojo  
  
"Kenshin... what's wrong?" Kaoru asked softly as she set a small cup of tea in front of him. He had been acting strange lately, not his usual bubbly self.  
  
"Nothing is wrong at all Kaoru." he smiled brightly and sipped his tea, but his smile did not extend to his eyes which remained sorrowful, and cold.  
  
Kaoru shivered, and without thinking about it put her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder, "Kenshin, you can tell me anything."  
  
"I know." he kissed her softly, before moving out of her hug and standing up, "I am going to go catch breakfast." he said suddenly.  
  
"But... we don't need any fish Kenshin..." Kaoru started, but he had already gathered his fishing equipment and was heading to the door.  
  
"I'll be back soon." he walked over to her, and kissed her again, before vanishing out the door.  
  
Kaoru sat down, pouring herself a glass of tea, "Kenshin.... why won't you tell me what's wrong?"  
  
Kenshin walked quickly to the river, and sat down casting his line into the cool water. He sighed, and silently apologized to Kaoru for making her worry.  
  
"Tomoe... who was that guy you were looking at the other day?" Namie asked as she brought a load of dirty clothes to be washed.  
  
"...He was...just a man." Tomoe replied after a long pause; she took a dirty shirt in hands and started washing.  
  
Namie frowned, and crossed her arms, "Now look, I am not stupid. You knew that guy."  
  
"You are imagining things." Tomoe said as she stood up, and hung the shirt to dry, "He was only a man."  
  
************************  
  
It was nearly noon, and Kenshin had yet to head home, he had caught many fish, but always set them free, he still wasn't ready to return home.  
  
He blinked as he heard a loud splash further up river, and then heard screaming and yelling. He stood up, and saw where the noise had come from. A little boy was in the river, struggling to remain above water. Kenshin didn't even hesitate before he jumped in, and swam to the boy. He reached him and started for shore, reaching it only to be greeted with...  
  
"Pervert!!" came Namie's voice as she hit Kenshin over the head repeatedly, "Pervert!Pervert!Pervert!Pervert!"  
  
The little boy sat blinking, "Why you hit nice man, Miss Namie?" he asked.  
  
"Because he's a pervert!" she answered and hit him again.  
  
As she raised her hand to hit him again, she felt someone grab her wrist, "That's enough Namie..." Tomoe said firmly, then let go of Namie.  
  
Namie turned to her friend, "But he- I was just- You saw him- I mean..." she trailed off, Tomoe wasn't even looking at her, she was at Kenshin's side.  
  
Namie grumbled, "Well, let's just get home.. Ryu's okay, so let's get..."  
  
"We have to return him to his home..." Tomoe said quietly, and looked at Namie, "His...wife... can take care of him then."  
  
Namie threw up her hands, "What's wrong with you today!?" but she walked over to Kenshin, and with some trouble managed to pick him up, "He lives at that dojo right?"  
  
Tomoe nodded, and picked up the little boy, Ryu, and led the way for Namie.  
  
Kaoru was pacing, "Kenshin should've been home by now...." she heard a knock on the door, and ran to open it.  
  
"Kenshin, why are you." she stopped mid-question when she saw Namie at the door, with Kenshin flung over her shoulder, "Kenshin!! What happened!!"  
  
Namie started, "Well he's a little perv-"  
  
"He had an accident... but he should be fine." Tomoe spoke up before Namie could finish. She gave a small bow.  
  
Kaoru nodded, and opened the door wider for them, she showed Namie where to set Kenshin down at and immediatly begin to ask what had happened.  
  
Namie begrudingly told her that Kenshin had been hit over the head, but she failed to mention WHO had hit him.  
  
"Oh...." Kaoru looked at Kenshin, and sat down by him, "Thank you for returning him to me..."  
  
Namie nodded, "Hey, how about me and my friend here take care of this place so you can stay with him?"  
  
Kaoru blinked, 'Total strangers in the dojo?' she thought, then looked at Kenshin, and sighed, "...Alright but only for a short time..." she remembered the days when Kenshin and his friends had showed at the dojo whenever they pleased.  
  
Namie nodded, and left the room, and after speaking with Tomoe, the two women started to clean and cook dinner.  
  
Kenji had found Ryu and soon the two were playing together in the yard; Kaoru sat worriedly by Kenshin's side, only rising once to see how the girls were doing, she was shocked when she saw the progress they had made, and asked them to stay for dinner, and so it was settled, the strangers in the dojo were staying. 


	3. Meeting the Past

Chapter 2: Meeting the Past  
  
Slowly Kenshin started to stir, finally opening his eyes, "What hit me?" he asked as he sat up and rubbed the rather large bump on his head.  
  
Kaoru told him what Namie had told her, and kenshin sat blinking as he listened, "Oro?"  
  
She laughed, and suddenly hugged him tight, "You're okay!" she said, truthfully she was just glad that he was becoming his lovable, but slightly clutzy self.  
  
"That I am." he smiled, and nodded as he stood up; he blinked when he heard the sound of someone in the kitchen, and then Kenji playing outside, "Who is here?"  
  
"Two very nice women, they brought you home after you got hurt." she explained, "Now, I'm going to go help with dinner, you see if you can find Kenji and drag him inside." she smiled as she left the room.  
  
Kenshin stretched before he walked out of the dojo, "Kenji!" he called as he looked around.  
  
He blinked in confusion when he saw a black haired little boy come running towards him, "Come on Kenji!" he yelled as he glanced behind him.  
  
Kenshin's eyes widened as he saw his son appear from the woods, he was holding a woman's hand and leading her along, a small smile was on her face as she brushed a strand of her black hair away. 'It..can't be...' Kenshin told himself, his smile had vanished.  
  
"Father, father! Lookies, I got new friends!" Kenji said happily as he walked over to the Kenshin, still leading the woman along. The other little bot joined them, and soon both boys were talking excitedly.  
  
"Kenji... why don't you and your little friend go play..." Kenshin said, his voice sounded foreign even to his own ears.  
  
Kenji nodded slowly, "Come on Ryu." he said and the two little boys vanished once again.  
  
Kenshin sat staring at this woman, "...T...Tomoe...?"  
  
"That is my name sir..." she said, with great difficulty she kept from looking at him.  
  
"....How...? When...? What...?" Kenshin couldn't finish any of the questions that were racing through his thoughts. He stepped towards her, "Gods...Tomoe...you're alive..."  
  
"...I.....What are you talking about sir?" she said, quickly turning her back to him.  
  
"Tomoe.... you know me... Kenshin..."  
  
She shut her eyes tightly, "No... I don't know that name sir... We have never met before..."  
  
He put his hand on her shoulder, "Tomoe..."  
  
She felt a jolt of electricity come from his touch, and she hastily moved away from him, "Kenshin please...." she allowed herself to glance back at him, "...We...have never seen each other before in this life..." she told him slowly.  
  
"...Tomoe...why-"  
  
"Time for dinner!" came Kaoru's voice suddenly, and Tomoe quickly looked away from him again.  
  
"Go to your...wife..." she walked away, "I will find the two young ones..."  
  
Kenshin felt a pang in his heart at her words, "My wife..." he looked back at the house, and then to where Tomoe had stood before, "...but...you were once my wife too..."  
  
************************* hm...Does anyone think I should bother to continue this? I mean, I want to, but only if people want to read it. So, what do you think?? ********************* 


	4. Dreidel

Chapter 3: Dreidel  
  
Kenshin sat silently through dinner, how could he speak? His lovely wife, Kaoru, sat at his side, talking with these new guests as his son played with his newly made friend, Ryu.  
  
But, she did not speak  
  
Kenshin found himself in a place he had never imagined, at his side, his wife Kaoru, across from him, his wife, Tomoe. He could never choose between the two of them, and he knew that there would be no need to, Tomoe would leave without a fight. She would never want to destroy a family, to deprive a boy of his true mother, like Enishi had been.  
  
But, could he let her just vanish again? Walk from his life, leaving only the scent of white plums as the reminder of their life together?  
  
Tomoe's companion, Namie, was eating happily as she talked with Kaoru, Kenji and Ryu. None of them knew of the dilemas in his mind. He rose suddenly, startling even himself, "It has been wonderful to meet you all, but I am very tired." he gave a small bow, before leaving, walking past his room, and out of the dojo, 'I knew to think that I do...' he thought as he walked to the river, sitting by it's calm waters.  
  
"Kenji, will you do dishes?" Kaoru asked as she gathered the plates.  
  
Kenji nodded, "Come on Ryu!" he dragged his friend out doors to wash the dishes with him.  
  
"Those two sure hit it off." Namie nodded.  
  
"They most certainly did." Kaoru smiled, then frowned a bit, "...Miss Tomoe, are you alright? You have been terribly quiet."  
  
"She's just shy." Namie shrugged, and smiled sadly at her almost silent frown.  
  
"I think I shall head home. Namie, bring Ryu when you come back." Tomoe said as she rose, "Thank you for the meal." she bowed deeply, "It was wonderful." with that she was gone from the dojo.  
  
Kenshin sat, skipping stones silently when he heard someone approach him, "I will be in bed soon Kaoru, dear." he said.  
  
"...I will tell her so..." came Tomoe's quiet voice.  
  
He spun around, "Tomoe! I..." he sighed, "....Please, Tomoe, can we just speak for a moment?"  
  
"Very well..." she sat down beside him, "What shall we speak of?"  
  
"...What happened? How...How did you survive?"  
  
She took a deep breath, "...I am not sure... I..." she sighed, "I am sorry I do not have answers... I only remember awakening in our burning home..."  
  
Kenshin felt a pang of guilt hit, "...A fire?" he asked meakly.  
  
She nodded, and reached into her sleeve, "..I..saved this for you..." she held out a tiny burnt dreidel to him.  
  
"...My...dardel..." he took it from her hand, recalling how sweet, and smooth her hands had always been, how her touch had always seemed to calm him.  
  
She nodded, and slowly stood up, "...There is a message for you in it... Something my lips could have never spoken."  
  
He blinked, and looked down, on the edges of the dreidel was a simple statement, 'I love you.'  
  
He looked up at her, his words caught in his throat.  
  
"...I am sorry, I have seen you again Kenshin... It would have been best had I stayed dead to you..."  
  
"Tomoe no..." he stood up, and, without thinking about it, embraced her closely, "Seeing you could never be a mistake..."  
  
She did not hug him back, but he felt a single teardrop land on his cheek, he couldn't tell if it was hers or his, it didn't seem to matter anymore. His life seemed complete, but then she brought him back to his dilemma.  
  
"Your...wife...will be worried..." she whispered.  
  
He let of go of her, "...Tomoe...please... don't leave me again."  
  
"...I will not destroy your family Kenshin..." though her face remained impassive, a lone tear rolled down her cheek, as she turned to leave.  
  
"....I have to see you again, Tomoe!" he called, his voice choked.  
  
"...If it's meant to be it will be Kenshin..." with those soft words she had vanished from sight.  
  
Kenshin turned and looked at his reflection, holding the dreidel tightly, his heart ripped to shreds by love.  
  
***************** Sorry, it's taken so long ^^() I've been busy. And sorry for misspellings, my comp doesn't have spell check, but I do run it through an online one... not that it works very well... *grumbles* Anyways, does anyone have suggestions or ideas of what might happen next? ^_^ *gives all reviewers a cookie* ********************** 


End file.
